Best Time to Drive from Harlem to Brooklyn

None of this drive is measured by working traffic sensors right now. The rest is estimated from nearby sensors, typical speeds and street traffic, so times can be off. Why so few sensors work.

Typical drive time by departure time

Minutes from Harlem to Brooklyn by day and time you leave (local time)
Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	28	38	49	57	58	63	63	58	61	59	60	75	82	76	59	52	38
Tue	27	44	54	61	60	65	67	63	64	60	66	78	82	81	73	59	73
Wed	28	38	53	56	62	62	67	63	65	65	65	79	86	83	72	61	72
Thu	28	36	49	58	65	64	69	69	68	67	73	81	86	81	73	67	73
Fri	43	42	50	54	58	60	65	66	63	63	72	80	78	68	62	60	57
Sat	29	27	35	36	40	59	56	60	60	63	62	64	69	70	72	66	64
Sun	29	26	27	30	35	39	54	53	56	57	60	66	69	69	66	65	61

About this drive

On weekdays the 16-mile drive from Harlem to Brooklyn (via I-478 East and NY-9A South) usually takes as little as 27 minutes and up to 86 minutes, when leaving around 4:30 pm on Wednesdays. Midday (11 am to 2 pm) it takes about 64 minutes. On weekends it is slowest around 5:30 pm on Saturdays (74 minutes).

About 9 miles of it is freeway, where times follow typical and live traffic from our sensors, and about 7 miles surface streets (18 to 49 minutes on weekdays), estimated from how jammed the freeways around them are at that time. Drive times are measured from central Harlem to central Brooklyn along the route on the map. Starting or ending elsewhere in a big city can add or save several minutes.

Simulated from typical freeway speeds at each point of the drive for the time you would reach it, from every 5-minute reading we have recorded. We don't have sensors on surface streets yet, so the time on them is estimated from how congested the freeways around each end of the drive are at that time, in both directions: streets jam when the freeways do.

Questions

What is the best time to drive from Harlem to Brooklyn?

On weekdays, leave early in the morning or late in the evening. The drive usually takes about 27 minutes then, versus up to 86 minutes at the worst times.

How long does it take to drive from Harlem to Brooklyn?

The 16-mile drive usually takes 27 to 86 minutes on weekdays, depending on when you leave, and about 64 minutes midday.

When is traffic worst from Harlem to Brooklyn?

Leaving around 4:30 pm on Wednesdays is usually slowest, about 86 minutes.

More drives

Brooklyn to Harlem (return trip) · Harlem to Bay Ridge · Harlem to Co-op City · Harlem to Staten Island

Open the live traffic map →

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	28	38	49	57	58	63	63	58	61	59	60	75	82	76	59	52	38
Tue	27	44	54	61	60	65	67	63	64	60	66	78	82	81	73	59	73
Wed	28	38	53	56	62	62	67	63	65	65	65	79	86	83	72	61	72
Thu	28	36	49	58	65	64	69	69	68	67	73	81	86	81	73	67	73
Fri	43	42	50	54	58	60	65	66	63	63	72	80	78	68	62	60	57
Sat	29	27	35	36	40	59	56	60	60	63	62	64	69	70	72	66	64
Sun	29	26	27	30	35	39	54	53	56	57	60	66	69	69	66	65	61

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	28	38	49	57	58	63	63	58	61	59	60	75	82	76	59	52	38
Tue	27	44	54	61	60	65	67	63	64	60	66	78	82	81	73	59	73
Wed	28	38	53	56	62	62	67	63	65	65	65	79	86	83	72	61	72
Thu	28	36	49	58	65	64	69	69	68	67	73	81	86	81	73	67	73
Fri	43	42	50	54	58	60	65	66	63	63	72	80	78	68	62	60	57
Sat	29	27	35	36	40	59	56	60	60	63	62	64	69	70	72	66	64
Sun	29	26	27	30	35	39	54	53	56	57	60	66	69	69	66	65	61

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	28	38	49	57	58	63	63	58	61	59	60	75	82	76	59	52	38
Tue	27	44	54	61	60	65	67	63	64	60	66	78	82	81	73	59	73
Wed	28	38	53	56	62	62	67	63	65	65	65	79	86	83	72	61	72
Thu	28	36	49	58	65	64	69	69	68	67	73	81	86	81	73	67	73
Fri	43	42	50	54	58	60	65	66	63	63	72	80	78	68	62	60	57
Sat	29	27	35	36	40	59	56	60	60	63	62	64	69	70	72	66	64
Sun	29	26	27	30	35	39	54	53	56	57	60	66	69	69	66	65	61